ABSTRACT
American gospel and soul singer, born in New Orleans. She went to Chicago in 1927 and was engaged in menial employment while singing in Baptist churches and then for conventions and meetings as a member of the Johnson Brothers group. She left the group in the mid-1930s to perform as a solo gospel performer, while also opening her own beauty salon. In 1937, she signed with Decca Records, but was mostly successful as a performing artist. In 1946, she signed with the small Apollo label, and earned quick success with her own composition, “Move on Up a Little Higher” (164; 1947). “Silent Night” was another hit disc (Apollo 235; 1950). She moved to major label Columbia in 1954, at the same time hosting her own radio show on CBS, the first national program featuring pure gospel. A successful appearance at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival further propelled her career forward, and Jackson went on to international tours, gaining recognition as the world’s pre-mier gospel singer. However, her albums from this period were often marred by intrusive string arrangements in the then-popular Percy Faith style. Nonetheless, three of her albums (1961, 1962, 1976) won Grammys. She appeared in the film St. Louis Blues in 1958. In her late career she added popular songs to her repertoire. She made her last appearance in Germany during a European tour in 1971. She died in Evergreen Park, a Chicago suburb.
